(Image via nba.com)

Staff Writer: Aidan Danforth

Email: adanforth@umassd.edu 

No more will the NFL be hogging the sporting spotlight as the 2024 NBA season will soon begin on October 22nd. In an offseason full of big trades and signings, each of the 30 teams hopes to win an NBA championship. 

Some teams improved their rosters, while others have taken a step back in the NBA hierarchy. These five teams have appeared to have risen above all and are most poised to win the championship. 

5. New York Knicks 

After the postseason, many believed a fully healthy Knicks team could have competed with the Celtics and claimed the Eastern Conference title. With such big expectations, the Knicks were very active in the offseason. 

The team started by trading for Mikal Bridges, who looks to be a great role player. This led to the departure of Bojan Bogdanovic. However, it’s hard to resist an offense consisting of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart. 

Bridges’ trade also saw the loss of Isaiah Hartenstein, a solid rebounder for New York. Even with those losses, the Knicks looked like the team that could challenge the Celtics. 

It didn’t stop there; there was under a month until the regular season saw the Knicks trade Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves for star veteran Karl Anthony Towns. This move makes the Knicks more terrifying as they add a proven veteran who is looking to win now. 

The loss of Randle and Divincenzo will hurt, as both were excellent playmakers. But the Knicks are bound to make noise come the postseason with an all-star like Brunson, a veteran like KAT, and other playmakers. 

4. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are in an interesting situation. A team one year removed from an NBA title as well as another MVP season from star center Nikola Jokic. 

Denver was one of the quiet off-season teams. They added a few decent pieces like Deandre Jordan and Justin Holiday. Their cap situation prevented big signings, leading to a quiet free agency. 

Due to their limited payroll, Denver was forced to let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency. Pope was a big part of that 2023 championship run, so his departure significantly hurt them. 

Perhaps the biggest addition was taking a gamble on veteran Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is a proven all-star and a great leader, but he looked past his prime during his time with the Clippers. 

Denver has taken a step back from 2023, leaving many concerned. Even with those question marks, Denver should be a competitive team with their lead stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. 

3. Dallas Mavericks

Last season, the Mavericks shocked the world. No one expected them even to get close to the NBA finals. After coming just short of the championship, people wondered if they could repeat this success and end up winning a title. 

Dallas got to work in the offseason. They were able to sing and trade for long-time Warrior Klay Thompson, who will add a much-needed veteran presence to a team hoping to compete. 

This didn’t come without their losses. Part of the trade had Dallas send Josh Green to the Hornets. One of their best defensive players, Derrick Jones, also left to join the Clippers. 

On the offensive side, the Mavericks are poised to have an excellent offense with a star like Luke Doncic along with Kyrie Irving and Thompson. The only thing holding them back is their defense, which took a step back. 

If Dallas wishes to address that issue, they must create a balanced rotation to stay competitive. Dallas has the talent to make a run, but everyone will need to play their part for them to succeed. 

2. Oklahoma City Thunder 

There’s so much to be excited about in Oklahoma City. The youngest team in the NBA to claim the number one seed, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC has a lot of promise after an impressive offseason. 

Even after winning 57 games, the Thunder got better. The Thunder began by trading Josh Giddy for Alex Caruso, who will beef up that already amazing defense. They also signed Isaiah Hartenstein to help with the team’s rebounding. 

OKC didn’t lose much, either. Gordon Hayward ended up retiring, but they were able to re-sign most of their bench players. 

The team was also dominant in the draft. They got an arguably top-five prospect in Nikola Topic as well as Dillon Jones. Amidst all the trading, OKC has ten first-round picks for the next two years, leaving them with a promising future. 

With that in mind, OKC is in no rush to win a title. However, with the amount of talent and youth, it would be no surprise to see this deadly squad soon at the top of the NBA. 

1. Boston Celtics

This is no surprise to any fan. The Goliath of the NBA, the Boston Celtics, is currently the number one team in contention to win it all. 

After a dominant postseason, the Celtics didn’t make a lot of noise in the offseason. But they didn’t need to. They were already at the top. All they had to do was keep their elite team together. 

They did just that. Boston re-signed all their star players to new extensions. Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and even their minor role players all received contracts that will keep this monstrous force together. 

With the core and the chemistry they have, it would be no surprise to see this team win another championship and become the next dreaded dynasty.